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Tagged with 'world premiere'

Work of the Week – Huang Ruo: The Monkey King

Portrait of composer Huang Ruo in a dark setting. He is seated on a red velvet sofa wearing a grey suit, holding a pencil and looking thoughtful. Crumpled papers lie on the floor in front of him.

The San Francisco Opera is set to present the highly anticipated world premiere of Huang Ruo’s opera The Monkey King (Libretto: David Henry Hwang) on November 14, 2025. Based on the Chinese epic Journey to the West, the work tells the story of Sun Wukong, the Monkey King , who, after a revolt against Heaven, comes to the crucial realization that true power lies in self-enlightenment. The production combines Huang Ruo's innovative "Dimensionalism" aesthetic with elements of Peking opera and visionary puppetry by MacArthur Genius Basil Twist. Directed by Tony winner Diane Paulus and conducted by Carolyn Kuan, The Monkey King is the perfect prelude to the composer's young, strategic partnership with Schott Music. 

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Work of the Week – Nikolai Kapustin: Concert Rhapsody

A stylized illustration of Nikolai Kapustin against a background of abstract piano keys in bright colors such as blue, yellow, and red. Kapustin wears glasses and has a thoughtful expression.

On 5 September 2025, the new version of Nikolai Kapustin's Concert Rhapsody will be performed for the first time. Pianist Frank Dupree will be accompanied by the Dortmund Philharmonic Orchestra under its new principal conductor Jordan de Souza – a highlight of the summer gala evening under the open sky on Friedensplatz in Dortmund.

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Work of the Week – Ryan Wigglesworth: For Laura, after Bach

British composer Ryan Wigglesworth stands with arms crossed in front of a blurred, brown-toned wall. He wears a light blue shirt and looks thoughtfully to the side.

With For Laura, after Bach, British composer and conductor Ryan Wigglesworth pays tribute to Laura Samuel, long-time leader of the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, who passed away in 2024. The piece will be premiered on 27 July 2025 at the Royal Albert Hall as part of the BBC Proms, conducted by the composer himself together with the orchestra’s string section – the very ensemble to which Laura Samuel was so closely connected.

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